Nn Scientists Help Russian Town Clean Water Supply

December 08, 1994|By JULIE CARRICK DALTON Daily Press

NEWPORT NEWS — Thousands of Russian children will miss less school because of stomach aches in coming years, thanks to a team of Newport News scientists who are trying to clean up the water supply in the faraway city of Novokuzetsk.

"Thirty to 40 percent of school-age children in Novokuzetsk miss at least two weeks of school due to stomach problems," says Randy Hoffman, a water treatment specialist with CH2M Hill, an engineering company with a Newport News office.

Many of the health problems in the Russian city have been traced to the drinking water which is processed in plants that would not meet U.S. standards from the 1950s, says Hoffman. The water was tainted with visible bacteria and sediment particles which slipped through the inefficient filtering systems.

Under a government program call USAID, United States Agency for International Development, Hoffman and a team of U.S. scientists went to Novokuzetsk in August to evaluate the needs of the city with a population of 700,000.

Hoffman had previously worked on water quality projects with Sherry Williams, the water quality control supervisor for the Newport News water treatment facility. Based on her expertise in water treatment Hoffman asked her to join the team to go to Russia.

Entering the Russian labs was like entering time warp, Williams says. Tasks, such as detecting bacteria, which should have taken less than two days, took four days in a Russian lab because their technology and information was outdated.

Hoffman says the Russian scientists not only had to design their own technology, but they also had to hand make all the parts, assemble the machinery and keep it running.

"Here if we need a part or a piece of equipment, we just order it from a catalogue," he says.

The Russians still performed procedures outdated in the United States 10 to 20 years ago, Williams says. Despite inadequate equipment, the Russian scientists were skilled and eager to learn, Hoffman says.

"Their government withheld technology from them for years," Hoffman says of his Russian colleagues who are desperately trying to catch up.

Williams, of Newport News, and Hoffman, of York County, introduced the scientists of Novokuzetsk to modern technology and procedures, and helped secure a $500,000 grant from the U.S. government to purchase equipment.

"I think we really opened their eyes," Hoffman says.

Although the mission was a scientific one, Williams says she learned a great deal about the Russian culture.

"The people are what made the trip worthwhile," says Williams. "Their hospitality was like nothing I've ever seen before." She came home with dozens of gifts, such as traditional Russian dolls and artwork, given to her by her Russian colleagues.

"I hardly had to buy anything," she says of her collection of Russian souvenirs.

She says she is confident that the United States' efforts to help Novokuzetsk will pay off because of the dedication and willingness of Russian scientists to learn.

"There are a lot of new young people there with fresh ideas," she says of the new generation of scientists who are getting better educations and are seeking new information to help their country.

Hoffman and Williams are planning another trip to Russia in February, which both say they are looking forward to because they are anxious to continue helping the city and to see their Russian friends.

USAID will only fund the project through December 1995 unless Congress votes to extend the mission, Hoffman says.

Williams says she and Hoffman are only laying the groundwork for change in Novokuzetsk's water-treatment facilities.

"It is one thing getting the equipment there and training them to use it, but they are going to have to come up with a budget to keep it going. That will be the hard part," she says, referring to the country's volatile economy.

The city will not see the results of the United States help for months or years because so much equipment needs replacing and so many workers need to be retrained.

Although Hoffman knows he has made a significant contribution to the health and sanitation of an entire city, he says he can not relate to it in terms of numbers.

"It is hard to imagine 700,000 people. I relate it to the 20 to 25 people I met when I was there. Knowing I helped them is what matters," he says.